Food chopper with rotary forcer screw



Jan. 18, 1949. F. w. LITTEN FOOD CHOPPER WITH ROTARY FORCER SCREW 2 Sheets-sheaf 1 Filed Dec. 8, 1944 Jan 18, 1949. r

2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Dec. 8, 194A In a Patented Jan. 18, 1949 FOOD CHOPPER ug'rn ROTARY FORCER s REW Fred W. Litton, Zelienople, Pa.

Application December 8, 1944, Serial No. 567,190

This invention relates to food choppers and more in particular to that type in which raw or Yet another object of the invention is to pro vide a food chopper with a forcer screw which is larger in diameter at the front end and the part visible through the feed hopper than the part at the rear of the barrel, thereby increasing the v forcing power against the cutting members.

A further object of the invention is to provide a food chopper with hemispherical cutting members having difierent exit openings Another object of the invention 'is to provide a food chopper having hemispherical cutting members with a scraper adapted to remove the chopped up material from the outer face of the rotary cutting member.

Still another object of the invention is to provide a food chopper with a hemispherical, rotary cutting member whose exit openings may be closed by means of a filling member should-it be desired to grind nut butter or other similar products. V

A further object of the presentinvention is to produce a simple and inexpensive device and yet one which will be exceedingly effective for the purpose for which it is designed.

Other objects of the invention will become apparent as the detailed description thereof proceeds.

In the drawings wherein like numerals of reference' designate corresponding parts throughout the several views, 7 a

Figure 1 is a vertical, longitudinal, sectional view taken through the device in accordance with the invention on line l--I in Figure 2.

Figure 2is a top outline view of Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a fragmentary outline view of the rear portion of the barrel showing the hemisphericalcutting member provided with exit openings having the cutting edges arranged in radial relation.

Figure 4 is a fragmentary outline side view of Figure 3.. r

2 Claims. (Cl. 146182) Figure 5 is a fragmentary sectional view on line 5-5 in Figure 1.

Figure 6 shows an outline view of the food chopper with the hemispherical, rotary cutting member in assembled position.

Figure 7 is a sectional view on line l-'| in Figure 8 showing the exit opening filler attachment, such as used for making nut-butter, by means of which the exit openings of the hemispherical barrel end may be closed up.

Figure 8 is a plan view of Figure 7.

Figure 9 is a sectional view on line 9-9 in Figure 10, showing the cap as used for making nutbutter or the like.

Figure 10 is a part inside view and partoutside View of the cap shown in Figure 9.

Figure 11 represents a fragmentary assembly view of the cutting end of the food chopper, in accordance with the invention, showing the rotary cutting member and the scraper in position.

Figure 12 is a plan view of the scraper only as shown assembled in Figure 11.

Figure 13 is a sectional view on line I3i3 in Figure 14, showing the scraper locking ears on the barrel.

Figure 14 is a sectional view on line 3-44 in Figure 13, showing the attaching and locking means for the scraper shown in Figures 11 and 12. Figure 15 is a fragmentary, sectional assembly view of the cutter end, showing the exit opening filler attachment and the cap in position. v

Referring now to the drawings and especially to Figures 1 and 2, the food chopper in accord ance with the present invention consists, in gen eral, of a cylindrical, horizontally disposed barrel 20 provided with the usual integral hopper 2 I. The rear portion 22 of said barrel 20 is provided with a hemispherical hollow end 23 having exit openings 24 and radially disposed arms 25.

A forcer screw 26 is suitably journaled in the rear portion 22 and the front portion 21 of said barrel 2! in a manner as best shown in Figure 1.

In order to render the food chopper easily cleanable, also to readily insert or remove the forcer screw into and from the barrel 28', the latter is split along its horizontal center and is hingedly united by the hinge connection 28. Both barrel halves are securely held together, at the front end by the cup-like attaching end 29 of the crank-handle 30. This cup-like end 29 fits over the somewhat reduced cylindrical extension 3! of the barrel 2|] and is held in position by means' of a wing-nut 32 which engages the threads 33 of the front forcer screw extension 3 1. The centrally'split rear end of the barrel is held together somewhat larger in diameter'in the proximity of v the feeding hopper 2! so that more material may be conveyed to the cutting memberswandzmore 4 radial ribs 54 formed integral with said inner wall 53 and having a curvature to conform to p the outer surface of the combined, assembled barrel end 23 and segment filler attachment 46. The hub is also provided with radial slots 55 adapted to serve as an exit for the finished nutbutter.

In order to facilitate grinding nuts into butter, the-inner surface of the ribs 5415 provided with diagonal ridges 69 whichialso s'er'vetlo direct the ground up butter to the exit slots-55 of the hub ;1Wh611 assembled, the segments 41 of the filler pressure exerted against the cutting members,

when turning the crank-handle of the food chop per. portion of the forcer-sqrew 26, the barrel 20 is suitablyenlargedas indicated by the ,nume ral:42.

The numeral 68 (Figures 1 and .2) ,indicatesan enlargement of the barrel 2c at. thebottomof thehopper 2i .andis intended to provide alarger space at that portion of the, barrel ,to facilitate passage: of large parts of food without. clogging.

Todrain any liquidin the barrel thebottom of the latteris provided with adrain hole.43 which may lbe plugged up by a cork M, or otherwise. Referring now to figurefiiof the drawings .which represents an vend assembly .view .of. the rotary attachment de do not completely close the exit ,sopenings'24 "of' the cutting end 23 of barrel 2!],

instead, a gap (Figure 3) is provided in addi- ,-,-t i qn to theradially disposed and substantially narrow exit slots 'll (Figure 8).

To accommodate the enlarged diametrtcal cutting member 35, itwill-be noted that-the latter is,providecl with a plurality of parallelly disposed exit openings 35, while the stationary cutting portion 2.3 of ,thebarrel 2B is provided withradially arranged arms thereby obtaining v-shaped exit openings 2 3. .In order toget the besttresults, theoutside surface .37 of the cutting portion 27a oftthe ,barrel ,2!) and the cooperating inside surfaoefifi of the rotary cutter should bele'mune. so asto provide sharp cuttingedges on-the cutting portions. 7 I i I Of course, the size of the exit openingsof the cutting members determine the .fineness or coarseness of the chopped material, large openings. will produce coarse chopped materialwhile small exit openings will produce fine chopped material. p i In order to produce nut-butterwith the,device the attachments detailed in Figures.7,e8.and 9, .10 are used and both are shownfassembled in Figure l5.

Figures 7 and 8 represent the fillerattachment 416 for the exit openings 12d ofthe cutting end .23 of the barrel 20 and comprisesa plurality .of arcuate filler segments t1 having a curvature corresponding to the hemispherical contour of said cutting end 23, so that when the segments are in assembled position, that is, wheninserted into .the exit openings 24, both, the barrel end 23 and the filler segments 41 assume the-shape of a hemispherical ball.

The aforesaid 'filler segments i'l' are preferably integrally united with a ring 48, the insideof which fits snugly over .the'barrel .22; in a-rnanner as best shown in figure 15. 1

Figures 9 and 10 represent a cap 49 which fits over the outer-surface 31 of the cutting endg2 3 of the barrel .29 including the filler attachment 46. Cap 49 consists of a hemispherical hollow body 56 which is provided with anoutward-lyextending central hub 51 having a square opening 52 adapted to engage the square shouldered portion of the shaft extension All of the forcer-screw 26. ,llhe inner .wall :53 of saidbQdY-Bfl is aprovidediwith shoulder 39 of the forcer-screw extension 4| by means of the wing-nutg32. ,Byoperatingthe cra'nl; 30 the capfflii rotates with the forcer-sc'rew 26, while the. filler att ach .mentAG remains stationary, as will be understood. Referringnow to Figures 1'1' to 141inc v'ei there ,is,. shoiw i.aidetacha le s ape are .m fi, 56 by means" of which the chopped food usually sticking to, the outer surface BI Qf jthefrQtarY cutting member 35', is being removed duringthe chopping operation, thereby lavoid ingtou of .the food by hand afterit is chopped;

This scraper .attachmentflfafi consists of an vannular r nfe .fi fhavi eit r g mor' 'ii id i extending, coincident lugs 59 st: as to jforin a U-shaped portionjas'gshown in Eigurej 1 1 of the drawings. 'Ihese 'lugs 5.9,fpre ferably integralwith the u er rea ro i n f't arre z ia tendedto registerwith'the ear's f6fl fshown' in Figure .One or more actuate craper arms 6 I of] fiat and stiff material inlay be welded or otherwise secured edgew'ise to the firing 58,as,bestshown" in Figures I I and! 2. These scraper armsffi I have an inner contour corresponding ';to the;outer surface of the'rotary cutting member '3'51 The scraper arm's BI are shown as havingfum supported'freeends 152, butif desired, as en ing ring 63 indicated in dot and dash linesmay I: I The scraper attachment maybefreadily attached ,to the food chopper barrel?!) lbypushing the same with the open portions 64191. the scraper ring 58'over the ears 600i the barrelf2fl and by turning the scraper attachment, toj'the left or counter-clockwise, until stopped by the "stop 51 (Figures 13 and 14), and retained in that posi- 'tion. To remove, the attachment; for scrapin the operation'isreverse'd; v 5 It will be understood that in op ratio'n t to be chqppedupds placed. 1mm th .2"l and-by turning the crank 30. the food 1s .forcediby the forcer-screw 26 against the "stationary hem ispherical cutting member end .23 of the barrel 20 and thence through the it jopenings :24. after which the food is minced to the desired-.fine- .or coarse texture by the. rotary cutting ;memb er;'35.

Of course, attachments. are' usually. furnished for fine and coarse mincingiand this .is accom;-

plished by .providing small or large exit openings in the cutters in .order.--to obtain respecztivelygfine or coarsechopped foods. j -j 7 7.

From the ,roregoing description, .takennin con-a nection With-the (drawings-it will be :seen .thatuthe present invention provides a food chopper oidihecharacterset :forth which 2 is simple in construction, sanitary, one which may. be easil icleaned and which is designed to carry out the objects of the invention in a reliable and efiicient manner.

It will, of course, be understood that while the construction disclosed is preferred, changes for and within the scope of the appended claims may be made without departing from the spirit of sacrificing any of the advantages of the invention.

I claim:

1. A food chopper comprising a barrel provided with a hollow hemispherical rear end formed integral therewith and provided with exit openings for the passage of food; the front end of said barrel provided with a reduced cylindrical extension; a forcer-screw rotatably supported in said barrel; said barrel being split in axial alignment with said forcer-screw thereby dividing it into two halves; hinge connections for said two halves; a rotary cutting member removably secured to the front end of said forcer-screw and in superposed relations surrounding the exterior of said hemispherical rear end of the barrel thereby serving a dual purpose, as a lock for the rear end of the barrel halves and as a cutting member; a crank for turning said forcer-screw; said crank provided with a cup-like attachment end adapted to embrace said cylindrical extension of the front end of the barrel thereby locking the front end halves of said barrel and a wing-nut for retaining the crank on the forcer-screw extension.

2. A food chopper comprising a cylindrical barrel having a forcer-screw rotatably supported therein and a crank for turning the same; a hem- 6 ispherical, hollow rear end for said barrel provided with exit openings; a rotary cutting member removably secured to the front end of said forcerscrew and in superposed relation bearing against the exterior surface of the hemispherical rear end of said barrel; said rotary cutting member having exit openings for the passage of food and means attached to the barrel for removing the food usually adhering to the exterior surface of said rotary cutting member during the chopping operation, said means comprising a scraper attachment having radially disposed scraper arms secured to an attachment ring adapted to engage coincident lugs on the barrel to secure same removably thereon.

FRED W. LITTEN.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Great Britain May 14, 1925 

